The act of reading is the most effective way for students to build their comprehension skills, yet independent reading has been on the decline for decades in schools. If a student is struggling in their reading, rapid intervention is critical, but students' difficulties are only detected through assessments that can be months, or longer, in coming, and the quality of those interventions is next to impossible for leaders to monitor.
The failure to provide sufficient reading time and appropriate support has resulted in two thirds of American eighth graders scoring below proficient in reading, and few students progress from there. Students who do graduate from high school too often arrive at college reading and writing well below college-ready standards.